Undisputed WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Sami Zayn7 of 8

Last Time in Action: CM Punk def. Johnny Gargano (Raw, September 4); Sami Zayn lost to Kevin Owens alongside Gunther and Finn Bálor (SummerSlam Night 2, August 2).

Punk and Zayn started heavy with strikes into a quick Picture-in-Picture break.

The Best in the World’s left knee gave out on him early, and the referee had to stop the action to check on the champion. The Last Real Good Guy then went after the knee.

Punk fought back by going after the left wrist of Zayn, ripping off his cast. This allowed The Best in the World to take over into a second PIP break.

Right back from break, Zayn laid into Punk with a Superplex. The Best in the World attempted a Bulldog, but his knee buckled. Zayn then hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for the near-fall.

Punk finally managed to connect on a GTS, but the damage to his knee led to slow cover and kick-out.

Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae arrived to distract the referee from an Anaconda Vice tap-out. Gargano tried to use the WWE Championship on Punk but took a GTS instead.

Kevin Owens arrived and accidentally hit Punk with the championship. Zayn then low blowed KO followed by a Helluva Kick to The Best in the World to win.

Both men leaned into a technical focus, highlighting two injuries that the opponent pinpointed consistently.

This gave them an easy excuse to work a slower pace throughout, especially Punk, which he may have needed as he consistently looked out of breath.

This may have been due to Mexico City’s elevation, though Zayn looked like he was in significantly better shape throughout.

When the pace finally picked up, the contest became a massive overbooking nightmare.

It all led to the weakest match between these two, but the win was a satisfying continuation to Zayn’s story. After all his talk of justice, he lied and cheated his way to stealing the title back.

With so many different wrestlers calling for shots at the WWE Championship, this is a great time to keep the title scene fresh, especially continuing to move the title on TV over waiting for premium live events.

Zayn needed a second win to solidify himself as a world champion, and it should be interesting to see how he does this time around. Hopefully, he at least gets a couple months.

Zayn def. Punk by pinfall to become the new Undisputed WWE champion.

Notable Moments and Observations

Earlier in the night, Sami Zayn promised justice in the main event then promised Gargano the first shot at the WWE Championship after he won.

In a backstage interview, Punk mocked Zayn, calling him a fluke.

Right before the main event, Ricky Saints finally shook Rey Fénix’s hand only to then lay him out.

Punk wore a jacket highlighting the masks of the luchadors of WWE, highlighted by Michael Cole.

The Best in the World got a strong reaction, though he and Chelsea Green were close for most popular of the night.

Mark Nash’s cadence was odd for most of the night, but he especially missed on CM Punk introduction, too fast for the crowd.

In the final tease for TripleMania, Michael Cole talked up Rey Mysterio vs. Omos.